I was shocked to read a letter to the editor which said Gov. Jennifer Granholm was allowing state employees' retirement funds to be used to fund businesses.

Now I have received proof that statement is true. In 2008, Gov. Granholm allowed $300 million in public pension funds to be used to invest in Michigan companies. Two have been reported -- one to Microposite, of Auburn Hills, and one to Ecosynthetix, a Lansing company. I thought government was to serve the people, not rob them!

Senior citizens expect Social Security and state retirement funds to be secure. I think this should be investigated and curtailed.

Evelyn Bartoo
Mattawan

County commissioners should be responsible

With the economy spiraling downward every day why are our St. Joseph County commissioners agreeing to pay raises for county employees?

In December, county road commissioners cut weekend and holiday sand and snow removal service in order to guarantee raises and health insurance. In January, the county commissioners approved a 2 percent pay raise for the district court. Commissioners are in the process of negotiating the rest of the county's union contracts. It's too bad the public has no input on this negotiation.

President Obama just signed a multibillion dollar stimulus package to help give the public a little tax relief. With the 4.4 percent tax increase in real estate and a 2 percent wage increase, I am pretty sure St. Joseph County non-governmental employed residents won't see any of the stimulus package relief.

With more than 500,000 people out of work, maybe local people should look at recalling all of the St. Joseph County Commissioners in order to help them better understand the economy.

Tim A. Carls
Centreville

Kalamazoo needs to trim trees on city property

The city needs to trim the trees on all city-maintained property. Some need to be removed. People or cars could be hit by the trees on the side of the road.

I live across the street on Wellington Road where Glenn Park is and they never take care of the trees in that park. I worry about the kids who go over there as a lot of those tree limbs fall down.

They should get some part-time workers in the summer like they used to, to trim or take down the trees that are bad.

About 60 years ago when I lived on Merrill Street, my cousin Clifford Gibson, who was going to college to be a pharmacist, worked for the city in the summer and trimmed the trees on Merrill Street.

I wish the city would start trimming trees again and also clear up all of the parks they have. That would be great for kids.

Donald Cavanaugh
Kalamazoo

Those trying to live on Social Security forgotten

I have been trying to follow President Barack Obama's stimulus package as it has been rolled out and, for the most part, I agree that it is needed and it could point us in the right direction.

However, even though it is geared to create jobs and provide an additional $60 to the working people in their monthly pay checks, it appears to totally forget the poverty-level retired individuals living on small Social Security incomes calculated, in some cases, years ago. The calculations may have been adequate when the individuals first retired, but it puts them in a situation where they can not even survive in this day's economy.

I have relatives who are living on Social Security of less than $900 per month, before they take out approximately $100 for health insurance, which does not even cover prescriptions. They are told their income is poverty level, but they do not qualify for Medicare Part-D prescriptions, food stamps, or any other form of public assistance.

No wonder the elderly are living in homes with the heat and electricity shut off and doing without their needed prescriptions. Our country has totally forgotten about how they spent up to 50 years working in our society, building and supporting the United States. They even have to pay school taxes, even though they have not had any children in schools for more than 25 years.

Maybe Congress and the President of the United States should think about that and see what they can do to stimulate this class of American citizens that has been forgotten.

B. Cobb
Allegan

You don't own something until it's paid for

I am so sorry to see Americans out of a job. I've been there. Also it is sad people are losing their abodes.

I have purchased and sold three houses in my lifetime. I never considered the buildings my property when I owed a mortgage to a bank. No home is one's own in this country until the mortgage is paid.

Then, if you don't make the tax payments on said property, you will still lose it. Having said that, people with low-paying jobs pay less taxes to our beloved government.

The new jobs that occasionally arise don't pay enough for workers to purchase many goods, etc. Remember Ross Perot, NAFTA, and the great sucking sound of American jobs going to a different country? We all should have listened and acted way back then.

The majority of Americans have lived not only beyond our means, but have saddled our next two generations with our greed and reckless abandon. Why do we allow U.S. companies to move labor and/or manufacturing overseas to reap great rewards at their workers' expense?

God bless America. God curse the greedy politicians!

Hold on to you backsides folks.

James A. Thomas
Plainwell

If we all pull together, we will survive and be OK

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Things were a mess in the 1930s -- people jumping out of windows on Wall Street and banks boarded up on Main Street and here we are again in a very similar situation -- maybe even worse.

Fortunately, back then America elected a charismatic, liberal and brilliant president -- Franklin Delano Roosevelt -- with new ideas. In spite of ailing health and working from his wheelchair, he was determined to change course, putting people back to work using stimulus programs to build highways, reforestation projects, national park improvements, school libraries and other cultural projects.

It was shocking at first to the conservatives and political hacks of the day. Their resistance was gradually worn down by his cheerful persistence and his fireside chats.

My boss Henry Ford was one of those doubters and someone told him I had the latest "Life" magazine with a big article on Franklin Roosevelt. He came over to my desk which was a big surprise to me as he hardly ever entered our design department. (He left that to his son, Edsel.) His first question was "Where's the article where they give Roosevelt hell?" and he asked to borrow the magazine. He said he would return it and he did.

Franklin Roosevelt's leadership skills were a huge factor in bringing us through the horrible World War II and the Great Depression.

I firmly believe we have a man with similar skills to lead us through the mess he has inherited.

Just think what we could do with the billions wasted and the precious lives lost in Iraq and for what purpose?

I think we need to give this man who appears to have many of the very skills, social and otherwise to lead us through this mess we are in. Let us not forget, he did not create the situation we find ourselves in and it will be awhile before we get a handle on it. But we can do it if we can pull together, "yes, we can."

Ross Cousins
Portage

Vicksburg students top notch in 'Guys and Dolls'

Recently, I decided on a whim to attend the Vicksburg High School performance of "Guys and Dolls." Frankly, it was not at all what I expected. I did not expect to see a high school production of the caliber of theatrical performances at Western Michigan University's Miller Auditorium by professional touring groups.

Folks, if you missed this production by these young people of our community you missed something quite exceptional. Everything about this production was top notch, and I mean everything. The printed program, the lighting and sound, the incredible sets and costumes, the pit orchestra handling some challenging riffs, and of course the musical performances themselves -- everything about this production was well done, and absolutely professional in every respect.

While most of the high school students involved with this production will not likely go on to careers in the theater, I have observed that people who are successful in music as kids generally enjoy success as adults in whatever endeavor they may choose. If this holds true here, the cast and crew of this smashingly successful production will go on to enjoy great success after leaving VHS. My congratulations to each and every one of them.

Craig A. Rolfe
Kalamazoo

Mulch or compost but don't burn leaves

Spring is here and many people are once again burning leaves. Perhaps they are unaware of the health, environmental and economic issues caused by leaf smoke.

Smoke from leaves and brush contains particulates (soot, dust and other airborne particles) that when inhaled reach deep into lung tissue and cause coughing, wheezing and sometimes even long-term respiratory issues. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, leaf smoke contains carbon monoxide that when absorbed into the bloodstream binds with hemoglobin and reduces the amount of oxygen the red blood cells absorb, causing shortness of breath. It also contains the chemical benzopyrene, a known carcinogen related to lung cancer.

If leaf smoke irritates healthy adult lungs, imagine what it does to the lungs of children, small animals and people with respiratory ailments. Try composting your leaves, or mulching them into your yard with your lawn mower. Be "green" and keep our air clean! Thank you.